Evaluation of IDVA Provision Gwent

Each Local Authority (LA) area in Gwent operates an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) Service. The IDVA provides specialist support to victims of domestic abuse who have been identified as being at high risk of serious harm and homicide by the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour-Based Violence (DASH) risk assessment tool.

The Gwent IDVA service was established alongside the Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVC), which was first introduced in Gwent in 2005. Gwent IDVAs support high-risk victims who are in the criminal justice system and then throughout the court process. The primary aim of the role is to increase victim safety, act as an independent advocate, reduce the attrition rate for victim’s evidence and increase the number of offenders brought to justice. IDVAs are integral to the Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)1 process representing the voice of the victim throughout and have been identified in National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guidelines as an example of good practice:

"Whenever possible, the person who experiences the violence is represented by an independent domestic violence adviser or advocate (IDVA)" (NICE 2015).

Under the auspices of the South East Wales Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (SEW VAWDASV) Board a preliminary evaluation of the IDVA service, with a particular focus on exploring what a regional IDVA service could look like, has been commissioned through the University of South Wales. A task and finish group made up of key strategic leads has been established to drive forward this work. The group is made up of IDVA managers, representation from Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), SafeLives2 and the VAWDASV regional team.